I Will Have To Kiss You
by Jennistar1
Summary: Er, title speaks for itself really. A nice bit of Maerad/Cadvan fluff for y'all! Not exactly smutty...rating to be safe...


NB: I don't own 'em…Also, this is NOT the best thing I've written, please bear that in mind when you read!

The Dark were getting closer. Cadvan and Maerad stared in a frozen horror as they advanced on Innail, onto the people below the wall they were perched on. They clung to each other, with joined minds and hands, but were overpowered by the pressing sense of evil upon them.

"It doesn't work!" Maerad cried. "It's too powerful - we're not strong enough!"

Cadvan turned to her, his face pale in the white light they were emitting. His hands were soft on hers.

"There is something we can do," he said. "We can go deeper."

"Deeper?"

"Into our powers, into each other's minds. Right now we are only touching the surface of each other's powers, but we must go into the very core. We may have a chance then."

"How do we do that?" Maerad asked instantly.

Cadvan hesitated slightly, looked down at the floor, then back up and directly into her eyes.

"I will have to kiss you," he said.

It was as if, for a brief second, the world had screeched to a messy halt. Maerad felt a mixed urge to run away, laugh and stutter all at the same time, but under that she could feel something else…an understanding, perhaps even a longing…

"Why?" she asked. Her voice wobbled.

Cadvan took in a deep breath.

"Ultimately the Light defeats the Dark. This is a strong form of Dark, so we need a strong form of Light to defeat it. And the strongest form of Light is - "

"Love," said Maerad, understanding.

"Exactly," replied Cadvan. He met her eyes and she realised just how deep his gaze was. Why hadn't she realised before…?

"Maerad, do you trust me?" he asked quietly.

The question was almost laughable; she couldn't believe he didn't know the answer already.

"Since the moment I first met you," she whispered.

Suddenly the rest of the world seemed to have dropped away and it was just her and Cadvan and those deep eyes.

"Then trust me…" he was leaning forward, his face close to hers, "When I say…" Maerad felt herself lean upwards automatically towards him, "That I do this…" his cheek was brushing hers, "For entirely _good_ reasons…"

Cadvan moved his head slightly and kissed Maerad on the lips.

The first thing Maerad thought was that she had been mistaken; for some reason she had been expecting the hard bang of teeth on teeth, a grinding endurance. The kiss had none of this. It was soft and gentle and warm, the most tender kiss she had ever received.

The second thing she realised was that she wasn't afraid; not terrified as she had been with that thug in Gilman's Cot, not even the slightest bit panicky as she had been with Dernhil. She felt strangely comforted, almost blissful, perhaps even a little flirtatious. Even though it was Cadvan. Or perhaps _because_ it was Cadvan…

And he had been right as well, the kiss seemed to have opened up a new door in his mind; she was able to join with parts of his power that she didn't know he had. She felt this new power blazing off her in waves.

Cadvan's fingers gently stroked her face and she, in response, put her hands steadily on his shoulders and then around his neck, and the kiss deepened. She could feel his body on hers, his hands smoothly moving up her arms, to her shoulders, her hair, her face, and back down, caressing her with cool passion. Rational thought became impossible. All Maerad knew, all that she wanted to know, was the feel of Cadvan's lips on hers and the power bubbling inside of both of them and that odd fluttery feeling which had started up in the depths of Maerad's stomach, which had nothing to do with the extreme power emanating from her and everything to do with Cadvan's skin touching hers.

This was insane, a part of her cried, he was her mentor, her friend…

And more…the other part laughed. Much, much more…

It was, Cadvan thought, possibly the most blissful few seconds he had ever had in his entire life. When he had mentioned the idea, he had thought that she would shout at him, or at least give him a firm negative. She had surprised him with her quick agreement, and with her utter trust in him. She surprised him now, her arms around his neck, her mouth on his, deeply kissing, pushing for more…

He forgot where he was and what the situation was that they were in. He forgot that she was the One and that he was her teacher and that they were probably both destined to die. He forgot all the stupid problems that they had had before. He forgot the crushing loneliness that he had felt before she had appeared in that cowbyre and into his life. He thought of her and only her, and the two of them, whirling through this odd electric space…

Cadvan forced his mind to focus, which was a hard thing to do when Maerad's body was pressed against his, but he managed it. He saw with his inner eye the white sheet of flame knocking the Dark down like pins. He felt the power within the two of them rise to extremes and Maerad's hands suddenly clenched his shoulders in pain. Regretfully and slowly, he pulled away from her.

Cadvan's lips slowly moved away from Maerad's. She opened her eyes gradually and realised, with a small flush of embarrassment, that she had both her arms around his neck, and that his hands were cupping her face, and that their bodies were pressed against each other, burning, hearts racing.

Their eyes met, but instead of feeling even more abashed, Maerad felt her embarrassment fade. A strange peaceful contentment came over her, and she smiled lazily.

Cadvan was smiling too, slightly. Neither of them seemed willing to say a word.

"Well," Maerad said finally, quite hoarsely, then was quite unable to think of her next sentence.

"I didn't hurt you?" Cadvan's voice was as rough as hers, but concerned.

"No," What was wrong with her voice? It was all fluttery. "No, of course not."

He smiled that same smile of lazy contentment.

"Good," he said.

"Good," Maerad echoed. There seemed nothing more to say.

End.

Read and review! If you do, I might write one with even MORE smut in it! :P


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